Smile Even When You're Miserable
by Mardia
Summary: Kenny's POV has been re-written. A 4-part POV from Michael, Mia, Kenny, and Judith of a scene in the cafeteria. Kind of depressing.
1. Mia

                                Smile Even When You're Miserable 

Rating: PG

Genre: Angst/Romance

Characters: Michael, Mia, Kenny, and Judith

Summary: Basically, this is the POVs of Michael, Judith, Kenny, and Mia of a scene in the cafeteria. Kind of depressing, and it takes place after the second book. Spoliers all the way up to the third book. As far as I know, this is the only story out there that has something written from Kenny and Judith's POVs. 

_Fireworks, _I plead silently as Kenny kisses me at the cafeteria. _Please, somebody give me fireworks behind my eyes. Let me feel with Kenny what I feel with Michael._

This is just great. This is absolutely _fantastic_. 

For months I've been hoping and praying to get a boyfriend who would French me. But now that I do, I wish I didn't.

The worst part is, I feel like an complete idiot for not liking Kenny. 

Kenny's a really sweet guy, and he's really cute, plus he really does like me for me instead for me instead of my tiara. But _no_, I can't fall for this guy because I've already fallen for my best friend's older brother, who's going out with someone else and has no interest in little old _me_ whatsoever. 

Kenny and I get along great, and we have _so_ much in common. We both refuse to dissest animals in Bio, and we agree on a lot of things. Plus, he always gives me the answers in class. He's a really great guy, but…

Why can't I get tingles when he holds my hand? 

Why can't I feel fireworks when he kisses me?

Why can't I feel weak in the knees whenever he looks into my eyes?

Why, why, _why_ did I have to fall for a former juvenile delinquent/computer genius/musical genius/best friend's older brother? 

Kenny and I finally stop kissing after what feels like forever, and we go back to eating our food, Kenny's arm firmly around my shoulder. 

Lars doesn't look too happy. I know he doesn't like Kenny all that much, but he's too nice to say anything.

The weird thing is, out of all the guys I hang out with, the only one that Lars has really liked is…well, Michael. 

I know that I need to break up with Kenny. But I-I just don't know how to let him down easily. I can't exactly confess that the reason I'm not interested in him is because of Michael, since both of them are in the Computer Club.

Which would probably cause some serious dissention in the ranks. 

God, I am such a _wimp_. 

This isn't fair to me or Kenny. But…but…as stupid and selfish as this sounds, I do like having a boyfriend. I like having someone who'll walk me to my locker. I like having somehow carry my books, and who will look at me like I'm beautiful, and….

And this isn't fair at all. And Grandmere's said it a million times: A princess must always be fair and kind. 

And Michael's going out with Judith, a girl who is going to Columbia, is a genius, _cloned a fruit fly _in her room, and gets straight A's, and also happens to be very pretty. 

Michael could have that, or a flat-chested princess who always has a bodyguard around her, is getting a D in algebra, looks like a human Q-tip, and has a psychotic grandmother.

Gee, what a _hard_ decision it must have been. 

I look at Kenny and smile. After all, this isn't Kenny's fault. And maybe, just maybe if I stay with Kenny, I can finally get over Michael and start feeling something for Kenny. 

Yeah, maybe. Maybe all I need to do is stay away from Michael. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Yeah. And maybe pigs will fly. 


	2. Michael

Author's note: The song in this fic is by Switchfoot, called You, and it's off the A Walk To Remember soundtrack. It seems to fit in really well with Michael and Mia's relationship, so I plopped it in.

I watch as you kiss her in front of everyone, and my stomach twists in spite of myself. Why the hell couldn't I have picked anyone else in this stinking school to fall in love with? 

But no, I had to do the stupid thing and fall for my little sister's best friend, who also happens to be a freaking princess!

You've won, Kenny. I admit it. 

I had plenty of chances, but I blew it. Big time.

Mia…she's everything I want in a girl. She's quirky, smart, funny, kind, and has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen…and she's dating you instead of me. 

How much do I hate you? Let me count the ways…

You're dating the girl of my dreams.

Steerike one!

You're obsessed with Japanese anime.

Steeerike two!

You seem to be finding some sick kind of pleasure in taunting me by kissing Mia in my presence.

Steeerike three! Yooouu'rrrre out!

You don't deserve her, you know. And neither do I.

Funny, all the good grades I've gotten, all the certificates, the I.Q scores….and I can't figure out what to do about this. 

I've got some morals, unlike the majority of the student body. Who, in my opinion, are morally bankrupt. I've always followed the written and unwritten rules….well, the big ones, anyway. (No, I don't consider the law against dropping things from your window a big rule.)

One of the biggest is that you don't mess with another guy's girlfriend. Breaking that rule…as much as I would like to, I know that I can't go there. 

The biggest reason being that Mia doesn't think of me in that way. As much as I'd like her to-oh hell, _love_ her to… she doesn't.

Judith's great, I'm not going to deny that. She's funny and smart and pretty… but she's not Mia. I know I shouldn't be leading her on, but…when I'm around her…I can pretend that I don't feel anything for Mia, that she's just my little sister's best friend.

But she's so much more than that. But everytime it looks like something's about to happen between us, something happens to drive us apart.

There's always something in the way 

_There's always something getting through_

_But it's not me_

_It's you…_

I heard that song once, and it seemed like they were singing about me. And my relationship, or lack of one, with Mia. 

First the fact that she was my sister's best friend. (Lilly would be rather upset…oh, who am I kidding? She'd have a fit!)

Then the whole princess thing came out. (Yes, I am worried about the fact that I've fallen for a girl whose's father runs a country and whose's personal net worth is three hundred million dollars.)

Then Josh Richter. (Luckily, _that_ didn't last long.)

Then _you_ came along.

Maybe I don't deserve her. 

But then again, neither do you. I know that, you know that, everyone knows that except for Mia.

The only hope that I have right now is that maybe she'll realise that too. 


	3. Kenny

Author's note: After reading TPD2 again, I realised that this POV wasn't really like Kenny at all. In fact, it was as far from his character as possible. I mean, he seems to be a pretty good guy in the book, and in this, I made him sound like a jerk. So, since I've got an obsession with making the person I'm writing about sound like themselves, I decided to rewrite this. Hope you like it.

You really need to work on your acting skills, Michael. It's pretty obvious that you're crazy about Mia. Head-over-heels in love with her. Plain as daylight. It's written all over your face.

I'd be lying if I said that it didn't bother me. It does. You've always been cool to me, you were the one who brought me into the Computer Club, for crying out loud, and the fact that you've got a thing for my girlfriend really bugs me. 

But not as much as the fact that she's got a thing for you too. 

I really do care about her, and it's driving me nuts that I can't make her forget about you. 

It's amazing what I see. I see the glare that Mia's bodyguard, Lars is giving me. He doesn't think I'm good enough for Mia. Which also bugs me. A lot. I'm not really sure what he's got against you, though. Especially since it looked for a while there that you and he seemed to be getting along really well. 

Honestly, sometimes I think that I'm the only one with eyes that actually work in this school.

Sometimes,  I think you and everyone else here is blind. You'd have to be, not to see the looks that Mia used to give you. That she still gives you.

I didn't think it would take this long for her to forget about you, I really didn't. I underestimated her feelings for you. I _really_ underestimated her feelings for you. 

I probably should have figured out eariler that you had a thing for Mia. I mean, whenever she walks into a room, your face instantly lights up. Something it never does when Judith walks in. 

Do you _really_ think that Judith doesn't know that you really don't think of her in that way? She's not an idiot, Michael. I mean, _come on_, the girl _cloned_ a fruit fly in her _room_. Yeah, she puts up a pretty good front, but sometimes it slips, and I can see the hurt in her eyes. 

Like now.  

I know our kiss right now really bugged you. For just a few seconds, I can see the resentment in your eyes as you look at me. Yes, a part of me is gloating. But the bigger part of me wishes that it wasn't like this. That you didn't have a thing for Mia, and we could still be friends. But that's not going to happen.

Mia smiles up at me. God, she's got a beautiful smile, one that lights up her face and makes her eyes glow. 

Everything about her amazes me, everything. Her honesty, her kindness, her naivete, and her complete and total inability to see how beautiful she really is. 

For the life of me, I can't figure out what kind of hold you have on her. What you did to make her care so deeply for you, even though you're dating someone else. 

So what do I do? I can't have it all, I know that. I can't have your friendship _and_ Mia at the same time. Hell, I really don't even have Mia _now_. 

So what am I supposed to do? Say, 'Here Michael, take her?' I don't want to do that, and as unrealistic as it sounds, a part of me still thinks that Mia's going to get over you. 

Yeah, right. The girl's been in love with you for years. 

So what do I do now? I'm going out with the girl of my dreams, but she really doesn't like me, my so-called friend's got a thing for her, and her bodyguard hates my guts. 

What a great life I've got, huh?


	4. Judith

What is it going to _take_ to get Michael over Mia Thermopolis?

I mean, the girl's three years younger than him, his sister's best friend, and happens to be taken. But Michael still isn't over her. 

I mean, we get along great. We're both going to Columbia, we're in the Computer Club, we even look somewhat alike…but Michael's crazy about Mia.

And it's not just that she's a princess. Michael's had a thing for Mia for years, but somehow, no one talked about it. It was one of those taboo subjects that you never bring up.

I've had a crush on Michael for years, so when Mia started going out with Kenny, I figured that maybe I had a shot.

I asked him out, and he said yes, and we had a great time. He even kissed me goodnight. That night I finally thought that Michael had gotten over her. That he actually felt something for me.

Two days ago, I was over at his house when Mia stopped by.

Even a blind man could see the way Michael's face lit up when she walked in. His face didn't-and still doesn't-lit up when I walk in.

I really can't understand it. 

I mean, I'm-at risk of sounding really conceited-not Lana Weinburger, but I'm pretty. I've got dark eyes and hair, and my skin is pale.

Personally, I think it's her eyes Michael's in love with. They're this really pretty shade of gray, and fringed with amazing long lashes that I'd kill to have. 

Right now, I'm watching Michael watch Mia and Kenny kiss. Michael's face is like an open book. Everything he's feeling is shown on his face. 

Right now, I feel like screaming.

What does she have that I can't give? 

Why won't he get over her?

Why can't he see me as more than a friend?

I watch as Kenny shoots Michael a triumphant look. Yeah, Kenny knows about Michael's thing for Mia, and he's not too happy about it.

I ought to hate the girl, but I can't. Even though she's a princess and all, she acts like everyone else. Plus, even as I hate to admit it, she's never even tried to lead Michael on or anything. 

But sometimes…I think that Mia's not as happy with Kenny as everyone thinks she is. I don't think that it's a coincidence that every time Kenny tries to kiss her, she quickly turns her head so all he gets is cheek and a mouthful of hair.

I mean, I've cloned a fruit fly in my own house. I get straight A's, and I'm going to Columbia. I've always flattered myself that I could figure out anything I wanted to. 

But the relationship between Mia and Michael has got me baffled.


End file.
